Tougher action on child sexual abuse signaled

By Zhang Yan (China Daily) Updated: 2015-07-06 07:28

Children of migrant workers play games in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. Experts say children such as these are at greater risk of sexual assault, and have called on parents to provide effective supervision to safeguard youngsters. Li Ruichang / for China Daily

Coercion, prostitution

Chen's daughter is just one of thousands of minors - defined as children age 14 or younger - in China who have been sexually assaulted, molested, abducted or threatened with being forced into prostitution in recent years. The cases have attracted widespread public and media attention.

Statistics released by the Supreme People's Procuratorate show that last year national prosecuting departments charged 3,239 people with the sexual abuse of minors, obscene behavior, or luring young people into prostitution. The figures showed a sharp rise compared with 2013.

Between 2010 and the end of 2013, prosecutors charged 8,069 people in 7,963 cases of "obscene behavior", including molestation and indecent exposure. During the same period, 255 people were charged in 150 cases of "sexual abuse" - rape - of a minor.

Tong Lihua, director of the Beijing Minors' Legal Aid and Research Center, said that in recent years the influence of unhealthy and obscene online videos has distorted some people's values, and they have sought out virgin girls to satisfy their abnormal desires.

"A lack of awareness among minors, parental negligence, and flawed safety management in schools and society in general have all contributed to the high incidence of such cases," he said.

According to Zhang Xiangjun, director of the procuratorate's prosecution department, few parents are aware of the importance of teaching young children about sexual issues, preferring to wait until the child is 14 or 15.

In addition, primary and junior schools usually provide physical health classes for minors, rather than sex education, which means many children lack awareness of how to protect themselves.

"Because of the lack of sex education, some juveniles may not realize they have been sexually assaulted, and even if they realize that a crime has been committed, some don't even dare report it to the police," he said.

Tong said that most of the victims were younger than 14 and were the children of migrant workers and single-parent families.

He said the perpetrators are usually acquainted with their victims - for example, neighbors, family friends, stepfathers or teachers - and many cases involve repeated abuse over long periods of time.